MANDARIN AT HOME

Mr Michael Wu (the school’s Head of Mandarin), along with Ms Hilda and Ms Yilin (Mandarin Teachers) skillfully adapted the school’s Mandarin curriculum, to ensure that the learning material remained relevant and accessible at home. 

In preparation for the academic year 2019-20, the Mandarin teams across the three Shrewsbury International School campuses (City Campus, Riverside and Hong Kong) worked closely together to produce a brand-new Mandarin curriculum.  The aim of this unique collaboration was to capitalise on the knowledge and experience of the school’s excellent Mandarin teachers, by designing an authentic language and cultural learning experience for all Shrewsbury students. 

The momentum of this approach was not lost as City Campus transitioned into a period of home learning. The school’s Mandarin team retained the focus on ‘real-life’ contextual teaching for students. Year 1 produced some beautiful calligraphy as they worked on their Mandarin writing. Year 2 learned how to explain their symptoms to a doctor. Year 3 talked about their favourite items in their wardrobes and designed their own clothing pieces from recycled items. 

In EY1 and EY2, the school’s Mandarin teachers use an immersion approach, introducing our youngest learners to the language through songs, stories and games. Our Early Years children had great fun singing along with Ms Hilda at home and listening to stories. 

Mr Michael Wu shared, “As Mandarin teachers, we have been proud to see our students making progress in each and every step of their learning journey. Learning should be an experience that is fun, exciting and challenging for children to have a greater level of success. We have certainly seen our students benefit from this approach during their home learning in Mandarin.”